Dan Quinn sends 'Crystal Clear' message to Commanders after third preseason loss

Most of us are just going to breeze past the 30-3 preseason finale score between the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens, but not head coach Dan Quinn. Following the game, the coach was clearly unhappy and delivered a “crystal clear message” to everyone on the squad that, in this game, “the ball was the issue.”

'The Ball Was the Issue'

The Commanders’ head coach told us previously that he was unhappy with the turnover margin, tipping away from his team’s favor, and wanted that to be improved before they hit the regular season. On Saturday afternoon, his team turned the ball over four times and didn’t take it away once.

To put it in perspective, Washington had just 10 possessions, and gave 40 percent of them away, three on interceptions and one fumble, all four coming from the quarterback position.

“For us to finish minus four, not creating takeaways, man, that is not a recipe. So, not creating them on defense, not taking care of it at a winning level, that is no recipe.”

Ravens cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. (34) intercepts a pass intended for Washington Commander wide receiver Tay Martin (6). | Jordyn Harris-Imagn Images

A Troubling Trend

That minus four put the Commanders at minus seven for the entire preseason, tying with the Detroit Lions for the worst in the NFL during this three-game stretch.

Last season, Washington finished +1, and that was not nearly enough to satisfy the coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who doesn’t just want his team to take advantage of takeaway opportunities; he wants them to create them.

In the 2024 playoffs, the Commanders were slightly better, earning two more takeaways than turnovers committed, but that margin was plus six before the NFC Championship Game in which the team turned the ball over four times and took it away zero.

'Ball is Life' Mentality Missing

In Quinn’s first season at the controls of the team his defense adopted the motto “Ball is Life,” and they went after it early and often. While it didn’t create the massive takeaway production they’d hoped for, it was a solid starting point to build off.

This year, so far, the team has not lived up to even that standard, let alone build on it.

While roster cuts loom and big decisions have to be made in the next 48 hours or so, one thing has already been decided by Quinn. “We've got to get that part of our football right.”

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